India’s active caseload of Covid-19 decreased to 5,976 on Friday from 6,483 cases the previous day despite fresh Omicron sub-variants fuelling the infections. The nation saw three fatalities in the last 24 hours—two each in Delhi and one in Kerala—raising the year’s total deaths to 116, as per the data released by the Union Health Ministry.
Health officials have termed two new Omicron sub-lineages, NB.1.8.1 and LF.7—both JN.1 variant mutations—as responsible for the ongoing upsurge. But researchers at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have said these new variants are not leading to more disease severity than the previous Omicron waves.
A few states are experiencing a decrease in infections per day. Kerala had 1,309 active cases, Gujarat (1,046), West Bengal (747), Delhi (632), Karnataka (466), and Maharashtra (443).
As per ICMR, genome sequencing reports indicate that though the initial spike was caused majorly by the JN.1.16 sub-variant, recent cases are being contributed by recombinant variants such as LF.7 and LP.8.1.2.
The Union Health Ministry has advised the people to keep following Covid-appropriate behavior, stay away from crowded areas, and take required health precautions, particularly when they fall ill. The ministry pointed out that even though Covid-19 has reached an endemic phase, all the strains that have been in circulation for the last three years fall in the line of Omicron.
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The government ordered states and union territories to review the medical preparedness of medical institutions, including oxygen levels, isolation beds, ventilators, and required drugs, in a bid to keep them prepared. A pan-India mock drill exercise was held to gauge oxygen supply infrastructure in hospitals.
State and district-level surveillance units are tracking Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases closely. SARI admissions and 5% ILI cases are still being tested for Covid-19, and positive SARI samples are sent for whole genome sequencing to identify emerging variants.
At the same time, 1,219 individuals recovered from Covid-19 during the past 24 hours, increasing this year’s total recoveries to 17,164, according to ministry data.
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